Benzos Klonopin is better than V, but why?

[Mighty-oak]

For me Klonopin is better for treating anxiety than Valium.......But what I cant understand is why, I mean they are both long acting benzo's so how comes one is better then the other and this is the same dose so 0.5mg Klon = 10mg Val.....Does Klon have a totally different make-up chemistry wise?

 

[kleinerkiffer]

Well, everyone reacts different and diazepam and clonazepam have different affinities for the receptor subtypes.

 

[nasir~]

Well, everyone reacts different and diazepam and clonazepam have different affinities for the receptor subtypes.

^
That's pretty much it.

I absolutely like clonazepam, but still I prefer Diazepam in most cases.
For me cpam is definitely very anxiolytic, long acting and also quite enjoyable.
The problem with cpam for me is that it has a pretty narrow dosing range.

0,5mg does hardly do a thing for me, 1mg is fine but still lacking in some instances and when I go higher the amnesia is way too much.

 

[Znegative]

again, kleinerkiffer hit it on the nail, for instance, I far prefer an equipotent dose of valium over clonazepam or alprazolam (xanax) for that matter, I find diazepam to be (almost) the perfect benzo in that it has a really fast onset like xanax but also a really long half life like clonazepam. It's also one of the few benzo's that I find euphoric by itself, its just unfortunate that it's so much weaker and it seems that most people aren't prescribed more than 20mg a day (equal to 1mg of clonazepam or alprazolam).

 

[Mighty-oak]

How long does valium take to have its peak effect? It seems to work faster than clonazepam, clonazepam seems to give me a bit of euphoria, V makes me feel tired.

 

[Znegative]

"After oral administration > 90% of diazepam is absorbed and the average time to achieve peak plasma concentrations is 1 – 1.5 hours with a range of 0.25 to 2.5 hours. Absorption is delayed and decreased when administered with a moderate fat meal. In the presence of food mean lag times are approximately 45 minutes as compared with 15 minutes when fasting. There is also an increase in the average time to achieve peak concentrations to about 2.5 hours in the presence of food as compared with 1.25 hours when fasting. This results in an average decrease in Cmax of 20% in addition to a 27% decrease in AUC (range 15% to 50%) when administered with food."
"Clonazepam is rapidly and completely absorbed after oral administration. The absolute bioavailability of clonazepam is about 90%. Maximum plasma concentrations of clonazepam are reached within 1 to 4 hours after oral administration. "

"Following oral administration, alprazolam is readily absorbed. Peak concentrations in the plasma occur in 1 to 2 hours following administration. Plasma levels are proportionate to the dose given; over the dose range of 0.5 to 3.0 mg, peak levels of 8.0 to 37 ng/mL were observed."-rxlist.com

so basically, xanax and valium are about on par.

 

[Speed King]

Kiffer said it right, like usual.I just got off taking Clonazepam/Klonopin 1Mg, 3X a day. I felt it was starting to become less effective. I asked and was switched to Diazepam/Valium 10Mg, 3X a day. My goal, was to give those different subunits a much deserved break. Very refreshing to my brain. Benzodiazepines work differently for different reasons for different people. kleinerkiffer can explain that subunit stuff. I'm probably going to go up to 10Mg, 4X a day due to how long it's actual duration of effect is, which is closer to 4-6 hours. For me, it's anywhere from 5-8 hours. But even at 3X a day, I am comfortable and anxiety free, even though by some accounts I'm taking the equivalent of 1.5Mg of Clonazepam. It is all subjective. I do also take 30Mg of Temazepam at night. I'm sure that helps. Now when I was prescribed lorazepam/Ativan, I blew through that stuff like it was candy. Ativan is not candy. It is however more hypnotic. Valium has a range of effects, due to its active metabolites. It takes care of anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasms, seizures and even getting off benzodiazepines in general. Clonazepam is more general anxiety, seizures, social phobias and it tends to not build a tolerance as fast as other benzodiazepines. It has a duration of action closer to 6-12 hours. I found it to be closer to 8. I effectively took Clonazepam for almost a decade at the same dosage. Valium tends to hit harder and quicker. It is all a matter of opinion. I however would not ever want to be strung out on Valium. Withdrawing to fast from that would be very, very bad due to all the actions it possesses. Hope this expands your understanding a bit.

 

[Mighty-oak]

"After oral administration > 90% of diazepam is absorbed and the average time to achieve peak plasma concentrations is 1 – 1.5 hours with a range of 0.25 to 2.5 hours. Absorption is delayed and decreased when administered with a moderate fat meal. In the presence of food mean lag times are approximately 45 minutes as compared with 15 minutes when fasting. There is also an increase in the average time to achieve peak concentrations to about 2.5 hours in the presence of food as compared with 1.25 hours when fasting. This results in an average decrease in Cmax of 20% in addition to a 27% decrease in AUC (range 15% to 50%) when administered with food."
"Clonazepam is rapidly and completely absorbed after oral administration. The absolute bioavailability of clonazepam is about 90%. Maximum plasma concentrations of clonazepam are reached within 1 to 4 hours after oral administration. "

"Following oral administration, alprazolam is readily absorbed. Peak concentrations in the plasma occur in 1 to 2 hours following administration. Plasma levels are proportionate to the dose given; over the dose range of 0.5 to 3.0 mg, peak levels of 8.0 to 37 ng/mL were observed."-rxlist.com

so basically, xanax and valium are about on par.

Wow, thanks greatly. So a good idea for me before I decide to go out driving or to the shop would be to take a valium at 8am and go driving at about 9.30am, this seems to be when the drug is at its peak. Also to take on an empty stomach? For some reason I am sure valium works better when taken with paracetamol?

 

[Speed King]

Let me put it this way. I told you what I was on and am on. Depending on mood, I can easily feel 5Mg of Valium. Grapefruit juice slows the breakdown of the drug. The metabolites build up in your system. You can actually be under the influence and not realize it. Valium is not a toy. Here is an interesting fact. In the 70's, these were given out like candy. In 1978 alone, 2 billion Valium tablets were made/sold. I would take the least amount needed, whenever you take it. It's a life saver, but could be a problem for the wrong people. That's why getting a Valium script now a days is rare. They just don't give them out unless you have a real good reason.

 

[uno22]

klonopin used to put me on my ass and make me drool and black out, but now it has little effect on me for some reason. Also, one time I snorted a little bit of klonopin and I actually experienced a panic attack directly after. Alprazolam is my only preferred benzo for some reason. Also, Ativan is useless to me, I dont understand using it, unless someone has zero tolerance or is taking it in high doses

 

[Znegative]

IME lorazepam acts like a z-drug, like zolpidem or something, makes me feel all spacey and want to talk to walls. Clonazepam seems to become useless after a certain dosage. In general its better to keep your dosing low with benzodiazepines, or as low as possible, I stabilized at two milligrams of clonazepam a day now and get pretty consistent effects out of it, granted thats not a low dose but for me anything less seems pointless unless I'm in severe withdrawal.

 

[Speed King]

I know what I posted before about Valium and Clonazepam. One reason Clonazepam may be the better choice is it's simple. It is strong per milligram, consistant, lasts a long time. It takes care of general anxiety and social anxiety and you don't need a heavy dose, for consistant relief. If your not super anxious, 3 mg can easily take care of 24 hours.